European Explosion

Befitting the region’s wine cultures, rapidly developing parts of Europe offer quality wines at prices low enough to drink every day. (…) But the excitement is not only the price. It is also how good these wines are. Technically, most of the wineries that export from Europe are as well equipped as those in California. They are certainly way ahead of most Australian wineries. And this quality is not found in the higher-priced regions such as Tuscany or Bordeaux. (…) European winemakers are now able to harness the sort of weather conditions and ripe grapes found regularly in California. They can make wines like these, full of the rich fruit that we love to drink. Here’s a great case full of drinking pleasure. Enjoy, and raise a glass to European winemakers. Tasca d’Almerita 2000 Regaleali Rosso IGT (Sicily); $ 9. The Regaleali estate is huge - more than 860 acres of vines - perched on an isolated mountaintop in central Sicily. Owned by the Tasca d’Almerita family since 1830, for years it has produced some of the best wines of the island. The 2000 Rosso, with its vibrant aromas of red cherries, is typical of the Regaleali Style. It blends Nero d’Avola e Perricone in a rich, spicy, tarry, mixture with a layer of dryness and acidity to balance.